Ethiopia declares an “indefinite humanitarian truce” in the Tigre conflict

Addis Abebba, 24 Mar The Government of Ethiopia today declared an “indefinite humanitarian truce” with immediate effect on the armed conflict that has been facing the rebels of the northern region of Tigre since November 2020. “This decision is being made to ensure the free flow of emergency humanitarian aid for all those who need it,” the Ethiopian government said in a statement released through its social networks this Thursday, after months of a “de facto blockade” in the region, as reported by the United Nations. “The commitment made by the Government of Ethiopia could have its desired result of improving the humanitarian situation on the ground only to the extent that it is reciprocal from the other side,” the Executive said, announcing this measure unilaterally. “To facilitate the success of the humanitarian truce, the Government calls on the Tigre insurgents to desist from acts of aggression and withdraw from areas they have occupied in neighbouring territories,” he added. Since the beginning of the war, the UN and humanitarian organizations have been denouncing the blockade on Tigre, which has prevented access to humanitarian and medical supplies, along with the cut off of telecommunications and banking services, especially since last July, when the Tigrino rebels regained control of the region. “The level of food insecurity is expected to worsen in the coming months as food stocks remaining from the last harvest run out (...) and humanitarian assistance is not delivered to scale and on time due to lack of road access to Tigre,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Affairs warned this week Humanitarian (OCHA). Currently, there is only one access road by land, through the neighbouring Afar region, where the movement has been interrupted by the recent revival of fighting in that area. In mid-February, the World Health Organization (WHO) obtained permission for the first time since July 2021 to send medical supplies to the region, such as essential and protective equipment for health workers, medicines for malaria and diabetes, and treatments for acute malnutrition. The Ethiopian Government made this announcement after the visit to the country this week by the United States Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, David Satterfield. The war broke out on November 4, 2020, when Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered an offensive against the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigre (FPLT) - the party that ruled the region - in retaliation for an attack on a federal military base in Tigre and following an escalation of political tensions. Since the end of October 2021, the FPLT managed to advance its positions to the south and threatened the possibility of marching on Addis Ababa, which is also the headquarters of the African Union. The fear that the rebels might attack the capital of Ethiopia - Africa's second most populous country and an important ally of the West - encouraged the international community's diplomatic efforts to achieve a negotiated solution. However, on 11 February, the European Union Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, the German Annette Weber, lamented that Ethiopia is still “far from finding a peaceful solution” to the conflict, although the Tigrine rebels announced the withdrawal of their troops to Tigre and the central government released several rebels and prisoners politicians at the end of December. According to the UN, some 5.2 million people need humanitarian aid in Tigre and the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar. Thousands of people have also died and some two million have had to leave their homes due to violence. CHIEF already-lbg/pa/vh